Stephanie Rae Williams of Dance Theatre of Harlem returns home for the Sweatt Dallas Dance Festival and the Dance Council Honors this weekend.

Stephanie Rae Williams. Courtesy of Dance Theatre of Harlem

Dallas — As the oldest of six siblings, Stephanie Rae Williams says her parents had to get creative when it came to financing her love of dance, especially classical ballet. Williams credits her mom with discovering the South Dallas Dance Festival scholarship, which also happens to be where she will be performing this weekend, along with attending the Dance Council Honors (DC Honors) where she will receive the Natalie Skelton award for artistic excellence by the Dance Council of North Texas. “My mother is such an amazing woman and she just wanted me to have all these different opportunities in dance and so, she was really the one who sought out different scholarships that were available and helped me apply for them,” Williams says. Her mom’s hard work paid off in 2005 when Williams was awarded the South Dallas Dance Festival scholarship, which she used to attend Julliard’s summer intensive that same year. The scholarship also gave Williams the opportunity to perform at the SSDF, which was a big deal for the 16 year old at the time. “I think I performed a classical piece, which is nothing like the solo I will be performing this time.”

The event, newly renamed Sweatt Dallas Dance Festival in honor of Mary Lois Sweatt (1939-2016), runs Oct. 27-28 at Ann Richards Middle School and includes performances by Williams, Sydney Winston (2017 SDDF scholarship recipient), Beckles Dancing Company, 410 Line Dancers, Images Contemporary Dance Company and Momentum Dance Company, just to name a few. The schedule also features a master class with former Bruce Wood Dance Company member Christie Sullivan, a youth dance showcase and an industry roundtable. The event is made possible by Arga Nova Dance with the support of Ann Richards Middle School and South Dallas Cultural Center.

For SDDF, Williams will be performing José Limón’s Chaconne, courtesy of Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH). Out of the four casts, Williams was the only female chosen for the solo, which she describes as modern-based and challenging, yet extremely satisfying to perform. “There’s something really gratifying about the way Jose Limon choreographed this piece. It feels like you evolve as a human being throughout it and by the end of it you’re like dead, but alive at the same time.”

Growing up in Allen, Texas, Williams started her dancing at Texas Ballet Theater School (formerly Dallas Dance Academy) when she was 8 years old. She grew up training in ballet, jazz, lyrical, tap and hip-hop with Joyce Seaborne Bader, Lyndette Bader and Fiona Fairrie. After graduating from Allen High School, Williams joined Ben Stevenson’s Texas Ballet Theater for a season before heading to New York City. There she worked with Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden at Complexions Contemporary Ballet before joining DTH’s ensemble company in 2010. After DTH returned from hiatus with Virginia Johnson at the helm in 2012, Williams was then asked to join the revived company and has spent the last five years here gaining more confidence in herself and her craft. “It’s the first company that I was able to make my home and really feel like I could grow and be nurtured there. What’s interesting is that half that dancers that came with us to Dallas in 2014 have moved on and yet I am still here. It’s surreal being one of the veterans that the new company members now come to show them the ropes.”

When asked if she ever gets the urge to explore opportunities outside of DTH, Williams responds, “Yes, I do sometimes get the urge to explore opportunities outside of DTH, and I have done that with Virginia’s approval, but DTH remains my home base.” Williams mentions that she just completed four shows with the Seattle-based Arc Dance Company, which she says Johnson was nice enough to allow her to do. “It a lot of fun because for once I wasn’t the seasoned dancer. I was the new girl and I feel like it’s really important to challenge yourself and not get too comfortable anywhere, and so I am really thankful I have a director that encourages these types of opportunities.”

As far as what Williams is looking forward the most at SDDF, she says, “Just mingling with everyone there and also seeing so many smaller dance companies from professional to the local high schools perform. And because it’s not just the professionals performing this really does feel like the whole South Dallas community is coming together to celebrate dance throughout these three performances.” Williams adds that she is also looking forward to seeing the kids attending the festival as she believes there are not enough black dancers for them to look up to in the industry today, especially in classical ballet. “I was the only black girl in my entire dance school, but I just thought that this was the norm. It wasn’t until I walked into DTH to audition that I noticed there was this whole other side missing from my dancing because at DTH when we dance there’s this whole other type of soul that we bring to the stage.”

While in town Williams will also be attending the DC Honors where she will receive the Natalie Skelton award for artistic excellence. The event takes place at Dallas Black Dance Theater on Sunday afternoon and will include food, a silent auction and performances by local companies and scholarship recipients. In addition to Williams, this year’s honorees also include Kathy Chamberlain, Patty Granville, Alpana Kagal Jacob and Malana Murphy. As far as Williams’ reaction to the award news she says, “I was both humbled and excited when I heard I would be receiving this honor. It’s just really nice knowing that I have so much support here in Dallas and it means so much to me to be recognized in this way.”

The Dance Council Honors has thankfully split from Dallas DanceFest and will return to its more intimate setting at Dallas Black Dance Theatre.

Me at the 25th Dance Council Honors Sept. 30, 2012 at the Dallas Black Dance Theatre in Dallas.

I know I am not the only person happy about the fact the Dance Council Honors(DC Honors) will no longer be squeezed into Dallas DanceFest (DDF). For the last few years the DC Honors has occurred in conjunction with DDF and unfortunately has suffered as a result with the main complaint being the length of each evening’s program.

The presentation of the awards also lacked the comradory and celebratory atmosphere that has always been a part of the DC Honors, which is why I am glad that the event has split from DDF and will be returning to Dallas Black Dance Theatre on Oct. 29 for some food, fun and fantastic dancing. And, of course, we will hear from this year’s DC Honorees, which include Kathy Chamberlain, Stephanie Rae Williams, Patty Granville, Alpana Kagal Jacob and Malana Murphy.

Over the last couple of decades, these incredible individuals have made huge strives to better our local dance community thanks to their passion, dedication, knowledge, cultural awareness and above all love for the art form of dance. Because God knows we are not in it for the money!

Kathy Chamberlain. Photo courtesy of Chamberlain School of Ballet

I know I will be there to watch Kathy Chamberlain as she receives the Mary Bywaters Award for her lifetime contribution to dance.

I met Kathy one day at Sandy’s Shoes and Dancewear back in the summer of 2009. I had just moved to Dallas from Cleveland and knew absolutely no one in the local dance community. She took me under her wing and she and I had multiple phone conversations about the ins and outs of the Dallas dance scene. She is the one who lead me to local dance writer Margaret Putnam. I started off by reading a lot of Margaret’s reviews, which at the time were published in the Dallas Morning News and TheaterJones.com (TJ). This eventually lead me to contact TJ where I have now been writing dance previews, Q&As and reviews for the last six years.

Kathy was ultimately the one who jump-started my career here in Dallas and I will forever be grateful to her. And her willingness to help me is also one of the things I like most about our local dance community. Although everyone is technically in competition with one another they are always willing to lend a helping hand and offer up support when needed. So, I recommend offering your support to the dance community by coming to this year’s DC Honors. Even if you don’t know any of the honorees you should still come. I did when I first moved to Dallas and it taught me a lot about the city’s dance culture and the wide range of work being made here as well as the wealth of talent being fostered in our city schools and studios. You should definitely check it out!

Dance Council of North Texas is pleased to honor five people within the area dance community who have made a significant contribution to world of dance.

2017 DCNTAwardees:

Kathy Chamberlain is receiving the Mary Bywaters Award, which recognizes a person who has made a lifetime and significant contribution to dance. Dance Council of North Texas is delighted to join with Chamberlain School of Ballet, (CSB) Plano, as itcelebrates its 40th Anniversary. Chamberlain School of Ballet is the supporting school for Chamberlain Performing Arts, a leading North Texas pre-professional dance company founded by Ms. Chamberlain. She received the prestigious Ford Foundation Scholarship for study at the School of American Ballet, NYC.

Stephanie Rae Williams. Courtesy of Dance Theatre of Harlem

Stephanie Rae Williams is the recipient of theNatalie Skelton Awardhonoring a person who is currently performing. Ms. Williams was featured in Dance Magazine’s “On the Rise” in 2013. In 2005, she received the South Dallas Dance Festival Scholarship from DCNT. Stephanie was a Fellowship recipient at the Ailey School, a 2006 Youth America Grand Prix Winner as well as a 2006 Youth America Grand Prix Finalist. As part of DC Honors, Stephanie will perform My Funny Valentine, choreographed by Darrell Mourie. She appears through the courtesy of Dance Theatre of Harlem, NYC.

The Mary Warner Award for service in dance recognizes Patty Granville, who exemplifies

Patty Granville. Courtesy of Garland Center for the Performing Arts

the individual whose vision is essential to the dance community. Ms. Granville has been the Director of the Garland Center for the Performing Arts since its opening in 1982. As one of the founders, she has served as producer for Garland Summer Musicals since 1983. In 2003, the Garland City Council unanimously voted to rename the Performing Arts Center to the Patty Granville Arts Center. Patty provides countless opportunities for performers, musicians and craftsmen to participate in musical theatre.

Larry White Educator Awardrecognizes Alpana Kagal

Alpana Kagal Jacob

Jacob for her inspiring and innovative contributions to her students’ development. After her Arangetram and graduation, she has been teaching Bharata Natyam to young children and adults. Alpana has been a guest lecturer at both UNT and TWU and has served as choreographer and teacher for Dallas Theater Center Summer Workshop projects. Alpana has taught at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Brookhaven College and Richland College. She is a disciplined and loving teacher to all her students.

Malana Murphy. Courtesy of Next Step Performing Arts

Buster Cooper Tap LegendAward celebrates the exemplary contributions of Malana Murphy to America’s original dance form: tap. Malana began her professional career at the age of 14 while performing in the production of Calling All Kids, choreographed by Gracey Tune. In addition to graduating from Booker T Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Malana has performed commercially and in industrials. Malana’s love for tap dancing has inspired her to share her passion and knowledge with students locally and across the United States. She is also the head of the local tap dance festival RIFF, which stands for Rhythm and Fusion Festival.

Program:

DBDT: Encore! will perform as well as Dance Council 2017 scholarship recipients. The opening number is generation# (sic) choreographed by Tammie Reinsch of Ballet Ensemble of Texas. Doug Voet of Uptown Theatre in Grand Prairie will serve as the event’s emcee with Dallas Black Dance Theatre veteran Nycole Ray providing production assistance. Reception, refreshments and a silent auction will complete the afternoon’s agenda.

The Man with the fast feet on the resurgence of tap dance in America, choreographing for So You Think You Can Dance and participating in the third annual Rhythm in Fusion Festival this weekend.

Anthony Morigerato. Photo: Shiloh Creek Photography

This weekend approximately 200 tappers from more than 20 states as well as Canada and Mexico will converge at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre in the Dallas Arts District for the third annual Rhythm in Fusion Festival (RIFF). The event, which is produced by local tap instructor Malana Murphy and runs Jan. 13-16, offers attendees a slew of training, networking and performing opportunities all in one inspiring setting. Tappers will have the opportunity to participate in numerous master classes focused on technique, tap history and music theory in addition to a cutting contest, tap jam, solo showcase and the popular RIFF faculty concert, this year called TAPN2Tap, which for the first time will also feature youth groups from across the nation, including Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New Jersey and Washington D.C.

RIFF’s 2017 faculty roster is its largest to date with 20 guest artists from across the U.S. and even abroad, including Canada, Cuba and Brazil. The line-up includes Chloe Arnold (Syncopated Ladies), Anthony Morigerato (Emmy nominated choreographer, Season 12 So You Think You Can Dance), Max Pollak (originator of RumbaTap), Derick Grant (original company member of Bring In ‘Da Noise, Bring In ‘Da Funk) and Dianne “Lady Di” Walker (artistic advisor to the Tap Program at Jacob’s Pillow), just to name a few.

One of the returning faces this year is New York City-based Choreographer Anthony Morigerato. Morigerato trained at Marymount Manhattan College where he performed modern and ballet works by Robert Battle, Elizabeth Higgins, Jiri Kylian, Katie Langan, David Parsons and William Soleu. As a performer he has been a soloist and member of Michael Minery’s Tapaholics and is the lead tap dancer and choreographer for the musical group Matt and Anthony. Morigerato has also performed on stages all over the world and on T.V. shows, including the Tony Danza Show and NBC’s America’s Got Talent. He is also the executive director and choreographer for AM Productions.

His popularity has skyrocketed over the last two years thanks to his guest choreographer spots on So You Think You Dance, one of which earned him an Emmy nod in 2016. (Watch the video here.) He has also served as an adjudicator and master teacher for dance organizations, competitions, theater schools and dance studios throughout the nation since 1999. Today, Morigerato continues to travel the nation performing, teaching and choreographing.

TheaterJones.com connected with Anthony Morigerato last week to discuss his distinctive tap style, the changing job market, choreographing for SYTYCD and participating in RIFF.

Anthony Morigerato. Photo: Operation Tap

TheaterJones: How would you describe your tap style?

Anthony Morigerato: I don’t know that I am an objective enough source to speak about my own tap style. How I perceive what I do is probably very different from how an audience member perceives my work. What I can say is that I am super inspired by tap dancers and artists generally of all kind. As a small child I grew up watching Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, The Nicholas Brothers, Eleanor Powell, Ginger Rogers and such. As I got older I began to appreciate the hoofers and rhythm tap dancers of the subsequent generations, including The Condos Brothers, Jimmy Slyde, Baby Laurence, Sammy Davis Jr., Gregory Hines and Savion Glover. I am also a trained dancer in modern dance, ballet and jazz. So my style, if you will, is a collection of these influences, intentioned in various moments by a multitude/variety of artistic forces.

What role does your formal dance training play in your choreography?

I went to school at Marymount Manhattan College and studied composition [choreography]. Aside from formal dance training, I have also had formal compositional training. Being a tap dancer this was huge for me as a large part of our form is rooted in an improvisational tradition. As a performer I improvise. As a choreographer you are employing different skills so it was important for me to learn and develop on those skills.

What do you like students to take away from your classes?

I like for students to take away from my classes how much I love tap dance and how much I want to see them succeed in the form. I also want the students to feel challenged physically, technically, musically and spiritually in my classes. I want them leaving with at least one thing that stumped them that they have to go home and work on and possibly some advice that they will employ throughout their lives as artists.

How did you get involved with So You Think You Can Dance? How has that experience impacted your career?

I got involved with SYTYCD as a consequence of the saying, “being in the right place at the right time.” I performed as a guest in a show in LA that the producers of SYTYCD attended. It just so happened that a month later they had decided to make a concerted effort to bring tap dance to this format for the first time and they said, “hey let’s call that guy who we just saw perform last month.” A stroke of good fortune and timing.

Choreographing for SYTYCD has been a great opportunity for me to show tap dance in a mass media setting and exposing audience members to the form who would have other wise not had the opportunity maybe to see tap dance. The format is challenging and difficult to make tap read well in and I welcome the challenge and approach the opportunity with great relish.

What do you get out of participating in tap festivals such as RIFF?

I get the opportunity to work with aspiring tap dancers and shape their perceptions of the form. That in and of itself is thrilling and important work. Education and passion for a life’s work are tenants as a human being I believe in deeply. RIFF gives me the opportunity to express myself in action in both of these tenants.

You also taught at last year’s RIFF event. What do you think of the talent here in Dallas? What advice do you have for tappers looking to break into television and film?

I think that Dallas and many areas of Texas and many areas of the country for that matter have some of the brightest prospects and serious talent our form has right now. Great teachers in this area coupled with interest from the students in the form has made for tap dance to feel truly energized. RIFF is a microcosm in this area of a phenomenon that is going on in tap dance all over the world. That is really cool!

For young dancers I would say to them work on your technique, work on your form, work on your musicality and have a point of view as an artist. If you are looking only to be famous or be on T.V. chances are you will never even receive the opportunity to do so. Focus on being an amazing artist, a humble human being who people enjoy being around and have a tremendous work ethic. If you excel in these areas the opportunities you seek will begin to present themselves. Also remember the road is not linear, it twists, detours, splits and is long. Let the road take you to unexpected places, you will find new opportunities and new people that will change your life as an artist and as a person truly for your betterment. Use every opportunity to grow and you will be a satisfied person and artist!

How has the job market for tappers in particular changed since you started out? Is there more variety?

I think that tap is making a comeback in Broadway shows, on TV and in other performance environments such as Vegas and others. However, I would say that tap dancers have to develop skills in many areas as producers, teachers, writers, film makers, etc. Creating your own opportunities and vehicles to work is a huge part of this business.

Where would you like to see the art form go in the next five years?

I don’t like attempting predicting the future, but I would like to see an environment in which tap dance has equal funding, institutional support, media coverage and opportunities that all other dance forms enjoy. My life’s work is in attempting to make this a reality for subsequent generations of tap dancers.